[Paddlewise] Paddling with Kids

daveu_at_sptddog.com writes:

<<So, the choice is either go on really short kayak trips, or burn dinos.
Any
suggestions on how to deal with this difficult age, or at what age its
reasonable to attempt kayaking with kids again? >>

I wrote this last winter about when my daughter (then 8 years old) first
started kayaking. Some of it may apply:

------------

Paddling with Kids

Last summer I bought my then 8-year-old daughter a Necky Gannet. I didn't
care for the thing that much, but she liked it a lot. I had her try several
other small yaks that I thought would be much better for her, but she
insisted on the Gannet. Those little pleading eyes....well, the rest is
history.

The Gannet is fine in perfectly calm water, but even with the skeg, she has
a lot of problems in any wind. The combination of her light weight and the
boat's high bow (sits way above the waterline) makes it very easy to blow
around and for her to loose directional control.

The moral to the story above is if you are going to paddle with your young
kids, and by this I mean kids actually old enough to command a solo craft,
try to match them to the boat. They won't understand why they can't have the
yellow one or the blue one, but you'll keep their interest longer and the
frustration level much lower the less real work they have to do while
paddling.

As far as kids in general go, you have to be a lot more prepared and have
tons more patience than paddling with even an early teenager. A tow belt (or
a tow system) is a requirement with children. They are much more likely to
get sick on the water, or be sick beforehand and not tell you till you're
miles from the car.

My daughter has paddled 7 miles without a complaint, and other times
complained every inch of a 2 mile paddle. In windy sections be prepared to
tow. Children can suddenly just be tired and refuse to paddle any further.

Also towing related: Try things to encourage them not to be towed. They can
easily become dependent on using you as their motor. My daughter was
becoming more and more prone to ask for a tow until one day I managed to
keep her occupied with just looking at all the ducks. At the end of the
paddle I made a big deal out of how she went so far without help. Now she
rarely asks, and only when she is genuinely tired.

Don't forget to practice rescues. Both my kids (my daughter and 14 year old
son) loved climbing in and falling out of the boat. Make it a game and
practice often.

A lot of small recreational kayaks don't have bulkheads. Don't forget to add
float bags. I took my daughter's kayak out once to see if I could roll it
and almost had to leave it on the bottom of the river. Try explaining to an
eight year old why daddy just lost her brand new kayak.

Sunscreen, water, sunscreen, water. If you forget either, go back and get
it.

Don't be disappointed with the short attention spans. Expect it. Kids get
bored quicker if this is an area you have paddled with them before. A highly
sheltered area with lots of wildlife is a plus. At the same time, don't
start by planning long trips. Begin with very short trips and work up to
what your child can safely handle.

A good fitting PFD is a must. A child's small body makes the PFD prone to
slip right over their head. A crotch strap, provided it doesn't provide an
entanglement risk, might be of benefit.

Think about everything that can happen on a long car ride with a child, and
think how you would handle that on the water. After towing my daughter once
through a long windy stretch I turned around to find her asleep, half
hanging off the side!

Don't forget to teach them proper technique. My kids have caught on to when
they see me eyeing their technique to focus on how they are paddling. Don't
give them too much to digest at once. Feed them one concept and let them
master it before giving them another.

Kids will sometimes surprise you how much they've learned. While on vacation
at Chincoteague Island I was paddling near shore while my family stood on
shore waiting for the ponies to swim across from Assateague. A little girl
came up to the shore and started asking me all types of questions about the
kayak. After answering a few I pointed to Katie, who was standing next to
her, and said "Ask Katie, she has one too." I then just sat there and beamed
with pride as Katie answered every one of the little girl's questions
without flaw.

Woody


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